Summer time in southeastern North Carolina means wild animals are having more babies, and that means more orphaned, injured, and perfectly fine babies that you might encounter.
According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, if you find a wild animal that you think needs help, most likely, the best thing you can do is leave it alone. However there are lots of exceptions to this and we’ll explore them in this episode. If you can see a physical injury, call a wildlife rescuer. If you see a baby or a fledgling, take a photo, and call a wildlife rehabilitator for guidance.
It is illegal in North Carolina to keep most wildlife species without a permit. Licensed rehabilitators are the only ones legally allowed to possess and provide care for these animals.
On this edition of CoastLine, we’ll also explore what it means to be a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and some of the ways these volunteers care for wild animals in southeastern North Carolina.
Guests:
Amelia Mason, Founder and Director, Skywatch Bird Rescue, nonprofit that cares for injured, orphaned and misplaced birds. SkyWatch also seeks to rehabilitate birds and either place them in sanctuaries or return them to the wild.
Anna Bolduc runs the nonprofit Bolduc’s Wildlife Rescue in Brunswick County. She has a special focus on possums, but she helps all wild mammals.
Jeremy Bivins is a wildlife rehabilitator who has a full-time, unrelated job, funds his own rescue work, and collaborates with other local organizations, including Bolduc’s Wildlife Rescue and SkyWatch Bird Rescue.
Resources:
SkyWatch Bird Rescue: hotline: (855) 407-3728
Email: info@skywatchbirdrescue.org
Bolduc’s Wildlife Rescue: Phone: +1 910-547-1545
Email: bolducwildliferescue@gmail.com
Jeremy Bivins, independent wildlife rehabilitator: 540.219.9401
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission on injured and orphaned wildlife:
https://www.ncwildlife.org/injured-wildlife
Video presentation on opossums by Jerry Reynolds, Head of Outreach for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux1E9zhpexo&t=1s
